Big Brother Program

The Illinois Chapter of Nabor House adopted a Big Brother Program in the fall of 1948, assigning a Big Brother to each pledge for that semester. The focus was, and continues to be, to help the Little Brother get acquainted with Nabor House, the campus, and college life. The Big Brother is the main contact pledges have with Nabor House during the period between pledge selection and moving into the house.

Orientation to campus, help with locating classes, and learning about cooking and other house duties are all made easier with the help of a Big Brother. But Big Brothers also help Little Brothers get acquainted with church services and activities, campus organizations, and even social life. Many new Nabors have gotten their first campus dates with Big Brother's help, although there may be examples where the system has worked in reverse, too!

Probably the most important function of a Big Brother over the years has been to be a good listener. Everyone encounters times when they need someone with whom "to talk it over," whether it is academic, social, or one of a multitude of other problems. A Big Brother can be a big help! Big Brothers also have been helpful in resolving internal conflicts between pledges and other house members or problems of orientation to Nabor House. While the system was designed to help pledges as they enter the house, the one-on-one relationship with the Big Brother can continue long after the pledge semester is over.

The Big Brother also gains, even beyond the formation of a new close friendship. Being a Big Brother helps the active member reassess and reaffirm his own commitment to Nabor House, its ideals and objectives, and the vows he took to become an active member. Many Nabors list the Big Brother/Little Brother program as one of the distinct advantages of living in Nabor House over living in a dorm or apartment.

Big and Little Sister Program

The Big Sister Program was started during the fall semester of 1968 to provide a female support person for each pledge in getting oriented with college life. In the mid-1970s, the program was expanded to include a Little Sisters Program for actives as well. Big Sisters and Little Sisters help pledges and actives with social graces and finding dates. They also have proven to be very helpful to the pledges as a sympathetic ear. Sometimes, it is easier for a pledge to talk to a female friend about a problem than it is to talk to a house brother. The Big and Little Sisters have also been quite helpful with the house social activities. An article from the 1987 Nabor Nubbins described the program this way:

Each of the in-house actives is assigned two Little Sisters with whom he socializes, recreates, studies, and coaxes cookies out of in exchange for class notes and tests. The freshman pledges receive a Big Sister who takes the young man under a sisterly wing and helps him adjust to campus life and college classes. Junior college transfer students receive both a Big and Little Sister.

Starting with an initial group of 12 young women in 1968, the program has grown to 50 or more in recent years. The female touch has no doubt improved the social life at Nabor House. Some social events are held specifically with the Big and Little Sisters as a group. Sometimes, they cook meals at the house. That in itself probably makes the program worthwhile! It also provides an incentive to keep the house "ship-shape" at all times. A side benefit has been a number of marriages that have resulted from meetings through the Big and Little Sister programs.